Tobacco-package.



E. C. BERRIMAN.

TOBACCO PACKAGE.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB.8,1909

Patented Mar. 10, 1914 l?? Wen/'i071' pz @i COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPM co., WASHINGTON. n. C. V

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EDWARD C. BERRIMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TOBACCOPACKAGE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Application filed February 8, 1909. Serial N o. 476,806.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that T, EDWARD C. BERRIMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Tobacco-Packages, of which the following is a specification.

High grade tobacco mixtures are produced by manufacturers after a period of experiinenting often lasting a year or more and involving much labor and expense. Selecting the different kinds of tobacco and proportioning them to obtain a blend which meets the particular requirements of a manufacturer is work which, with high grade mixtures at least, requires the services of experts. And yet, even though it is the desire of the manufacturer to deliver the mixture to the consumer in a prime condition so that the consumer will derive the benefit of the manufacturers efforts to produce a mixture of particular flavor and characteristics, to which end the manufacturer may direct his best efforts, it is a fact that the consumer seldom, if ever, has the opportunity of smoking the mixture as it is prepared by the manufacturer and intended by him to be smoked in order to obtain the flavor and benefits of the mixture as it has been blended. The reason is very simple. Take, for example, a high grade mixture composed of Virginia, Latakia and Perique. The leaves of the Virginia tobacco are large, tough and flexible; those of the Latakia tobacco are small and brittle; and those of the Perique are so small and brittle that when the tobacco is cured they are mere shreds. ln the preparation of the mixture the Virginia tobacco is cut in long, tough strings which do not break up during the various processes of manufacture or when a pipe is filled for smoking; the Latakia and Perique are cut in much smaller pieces and because these tobaccos are brittle the pieces are continually breaking into smaller pieces. After the manufacturer has ascertained the exact proportions of these various tobaccos to be used they are mixed with care and the mixture is packed in boxes or suitable containers. lt is the desire of the manufacturer that the charge of the mixture which the consumer packs in his pipe shall contain the several tobaccos in the proper proportions as originally prepared and packed, and if this were possible the results would be mutually satisfactory to the manufacturer and the con sumer. But, in fact, the mixture does not remain in the con dition in which it is packed by the manufacturer. The Latakia and Perlque become more brittle as they dry out and break into smaller' pieces and sift through the long strings of the Virginia under any agitation of the mixture. This occurs, to a more or less extent, during shipment and it occurs more especially after the consumer begins to use the mixture. The consumer opens his box and picks out a charge of tobacco for his pipe. The long strings of tough Virginia are intermingled and entangled so that when the consumer picks up a charge of the mixture the charge itself is agitated and the mixture in the box adjacent to the charge is also considerably agitated as the charge is removed. This becomes more noticeable after the box has been openfor a while and the tobacco becomes drier. This agitation causes a portion of the Latakia and Perique to separate from the Virginia and some of it falls back into the box and some is lost from the charge or thrown away while the pipe is being filled.

Every agitation of the tobacco in the box causes some of the Latakia and Perique to sift down through the Virginia, to the bottom of the box, and when nearly all the tobacco in the box has been used it will be found that the Latakia and Perique remaining are greatly in excess of the original proportions. By reason of these conditions. which exist in all tobacco mixtures the blend of tobacco smoked by the consumer varies in each pipeful, notwithstanding the fact that it is all taken from the same box, and also varies greatly in the proportions of the several tobaccos from the mixture as originally prepared by the manufacturer. Thus the consumer loses the benefit of the care and skill of the manufacturer in his selection and blending of the several tobaccos, and the manufacturer loses that favor of the consumer which might come from the smoking of the mixture in the proportions in which it was originally prepared.

The object of my invention is to maintain a tobacco mixture while in use by the consumer in the same condition in which it has been prepared by the manufacturer and also to enable the consumer to charge his pipe with the mixture in the original proporti'tns as the manufacturer has prepared itJ lli/lith these and other objects in view lf pack the mixture solidly in the form of a stick and preferably wrap the stick in paratlined or other suitable paper. is held in a container of corresponding shape and this container is provided with a movable bottom which is adjusted to feed the stick to the top of the container. As the tobacco is packed solidly the stick will maintain its form throughout its use.

In the accompanying drawings l have illustrated one embodiment ot the invention and referring thereto Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the package with the lid of the container open. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the package showing the wrapped stick pushed upward above the body or the container, the lower part of the container being broken away and in section to show the movable bottom. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the package showing the stick pushed up and the paper removed from the projecting end ot the stick as it would appear when a charge of tobacco is to be removed. Fig. e is a transverse sectional view on the line 1 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the stick without the paper wrapper.

The container 6 may be made in any desired shape and is preferably made of metal. 1 also prefer to provide the body 7 of the container with one or more interiorly located guide ribs 8 extending lengthwise thereof and which can be conveniently made by stamping the body as shown. The body is open at its ends and it has a narrow inturned peripheral tlange 9 at its lower end. The bottom 10 ot the container is arranged to slide within the body and it comprises an upturned tlange 11 which conforms to the shape ci the body and lits snugly therein. The bottom has grooves 8 to receive the guide ribs S. The flange 9 prevents the bottom 10 trom slipping out of the body at its lower end. A lid 12 is hinged to the body at the upper end thereof or secured thereto in any other suitable manner.

rlhe tobacco mixture is packed solidly by pressure in the form of a stick 13 which will maintain its shape irrespective of the container. The stick is preferably inclosed in a wrapper le of paratn paper, or other suitable material, which can be readily removed as required.

rhe stick is arranged in the container in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. The lid is constructed to lit snugly on the body and the bottom ts snugly within the body, and therefore the container and the wrapper protect the stick so that the tobacco may be kept indeiinitely in its original condition and without liability of drying out. The manner in which the tobacco is packed, solidly in stick form, also helps to prevent it from drying. 1V hen it is desired to remove The stick l Losefiev a charge, that is to say, a pipet'ul of tobacco, trom the stick, the stick is pushed upward by pressure applied to the movable bottom, as shown in Fig. 2, and the paper is removed from that part of the stick projecting above the body by tearing it on the edge ot the body. rThen the consumer pulls the exposed tobacco oil the stick and charges his pipe. rEhe stick is :ted up in the container and the paper wrapper torn ed as required by the consumer for subsequent charges.

The charge or pipetul is not handled and agitated in taking it from the stick as in the case ot loosely packed mixtures now on the market for the reason that the consumer removes bodily a portion, or section, ot the stick and rolls the entire charge in his hands in the usual manner, whereas with the loosely packed mixture he picks up a charge from the bulk in the box, pulling the long shreds of Virginia tree and producing suiiicient agitation of both the charge and the tobacco remainingl in the box to cause a separation of the Latakia and Ferique from the Virginia to a more or less extent. Furthermore, that portion of the stick remaining in the container remains in its solid form and is not affected by the removal of the charge or any agitation to which the package may be subjected. 1n this way the mixture of tobaccos in the original proportions is constantly maintained and the consumer is t ius enabled to ll his pipe with the original mixture and obtain the iiavor and the eiiect which the manufacturer intended. This result continues until the stick is exhausted for, by reason of the solidity of the stick, there is no chance for the Latakia and Perique to sift down through the Virginia in the stick. Gn the contrary the Latakia and Perique will remain distributed throughout the Virginia in the proportions and in the manner in which the tobaccos are originally mixed and the mixture packed. The consumer gains the benefitof the blend ot tobaccos as long as the mixture lasts, and, as heretofore pointed out, this is an advantage, not only to the consumer, but to the manufacturer as well.

The bottom is guided on the ribs 8 so that it can be moved freely in the body while at the same time the flange 11 Jfrictionally engages the body sufliciently to hold the bottom in adjusted position.

I have shown the invention embodied in a cylindrical container and stick but it will be apparent that this shape may be varied as desired.

l desire to have it understood that my in vention does not contemplate the use ot molasses or similar substances with the tobacco to make it of the nature of plug cut, but that it relates to commercial mixtures ot different tobaccos in various proportions which have been heretofore packed loosely in boxes or other Containers.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A mixture of smoking Jcobaeco comprising a plurality of standard grades of tobacco of different lengt-h, strength and out intermingled to form a determined blend and compressed together in the form of a solid stick from which desired amounts contain- 10 ing a predetermined ratio of the Various grades may be cui"J or broken off for use.

EDWARD C. BERRIMAN. Witnesses:

Gr. A. JOHNSON, HAROLD W. STROUD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o! Patents, Washington, D. C. 

